Thursday November 18 Pentecost 25
Click here for simplified daily office prayers
Psalm 105 Part 2
The first half of this psalm sang about how God cared for the people up to the time of their becoming slaves in Egypt. This second half sings about how God forced the Egyptians to release the Israelites so God could bring them to their own land. God is being praised for consistently enacting justice in history.
1 Maccabees 4: 1-25 What’s Maccabees about?
The Greeks attack Jerusalem, but Judas leads his smaller and ill-equipped army against their staging-camp and defeats them and the force that had been sent against Jerusalem. They capture great wealth and give thanks to God for this victory over the pagan Greeks.
Matthew 18: 1-9 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus calls disciples to a level of trust that is normally only expressed in children who aren’t aware of dangers. As often in his gospel Matthew then moves to warnings. The warning about not hurting a child has a double meaning—a ‘child’ also meant an adult disciple. Warnings about cutting off our hand or plucking out our eye were never intended to be taken literally—exaggeration was a normal method of emphasizing the importance of the point being made—Jesus is saying we are to be as committed to integrity and care for justice as if we were going to amputate our hand or foot or eye for being unjust. People were meant to chuckle and agree.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
you sent your Son Jesus Christ
to be the light of the world.
Free us from all that darkens and ensnares us,
and bring us to eternal light and joy;
through the power of him
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Click here to share a comment on the web site.